Cardio can get boring. You pick a machine and plod along. You tell yourself you’re not allowed to check the time. You go and go. You’re getting so sweaty. You listen to a million songs, but it’s just the same old routine and you’re just burning calories, not building your body.
Enter a StairMaster or elliptical workout. Who knew that just simply raising and lowering your leg going up the stairs could do SO much for your lower body? Even if you don’t have access to a StairMaster machine, but have stairs, here is a 25-minute workout routine that will transform your body.
But first, here are a few things to remember:
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1.) Posture is everything! Remember to stand tall with your heart forward. So many people are hunched over on these machines. You wouldn’t walk or run like this, so stand tall!
2.) Listen to your body! If this is your first time on the StairMill, it might surprise you how winded you will get.
3.) Don’t Hold On You know the move: gripping the sides of the machine for dear life. That’s not helping your body work harder—it’s cheating. If you feel off-balance, lightly grasping the sides will help you get steady. But don’t rely on them to hold you up. That reduces the load of your body on the stairs and weakens your workout.
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Now, here’s the workout:
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I. Skip a Step
Booty and quad burner.
Pick a lead leg to step over the second step to the third step.
Bring your back leg up to meet the lead leg and then quickly step your lead leg up and over the next step to the third step again.
Continue pulling your body up on the same leg.
Then switch lead legs.
Squeeze through the glute when you pull your back leg up and press through your heels to activate your butt even more.
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II. Side Step
Great for hips and quads.
Turn sideways on the machine and get your bearings.
Hold the middle bar with your inside hand for balance.
When you’re ready, lift your inside foot to the next step…
Quickly move your outside foot to meet it on the same step.
Then lift your outside foot again and so on.
Switch sides to work the other leg.
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III. Reverse Climb
This one works the quads, hammies, and calves a little more.
Hold the railings securely without leaning on them.
Lower the speed until you’re moving pretty slowly.
Carefully turn around backward and climb in reverse.
Hold the railings in case you miss a step or slip.
This one takes some getting used to, so be patient with yourself and go slowly.
